Cleaning brush, particularly for mouth treatments



June 2, 1959 c. L. LONGERT CLEANING BRUSH, PARTICULARLY FOR MOUTHTREATMENTS Filed May 10. 1955 2,888,696 Patented June 2, 1959 CLEANTNGBRUSH, PARTICULARLY FOR MOUTH TREATMENTS Christian Leo Longert, Vaduz,Liechtenstein, assignor to Vimonta Internationale Handelsgesellschaft,Vaduz, Liechtenstein, a Liechtenstein company Application May 10, 1955,Serial No. 507,373

Claims priority, application Switzerland May 19, 1954 2 Claims. (Cl.15-136) The present invention relates to a cleaning brush, particularlyfor cleaning the tongue or the pharyngeal cavity.

When cleaning the tongue, it is as a rule necessary to use a cleaningliquid, a mouth wash for instance, into which the bristles of thecleaning brush are dipped before the treatment. The use of such asolvent liquid plays an important part in detaching the mucous residue.

Cleaning brushes are already known for this purpose, however, all havethe disadvantage that the quantity of liquid carried or absorbed by thebristles is too small to exert an effective influence on the cleaningprocess.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a cleaningbrush which remedies the above-mentioned disadvantage. According to theinvention, the cleaning brush is characterised by the fact that meansfor storing and distributing liquid are provided on the brush, the saidmeans being connected to bores leading to the underside of the brush soas to enable a treatment liquid to be released during brushing.

Two preferred embodiments of the cleaning brush according to theinvention are illustrated in the attached drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevational view of a cleaning brush according to thefirst embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the cleaning brush according to Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a cleaning brush according to asecond embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 1 the reference numerals 1 and 2 designate the handle and head,respectively, of a brush. The handle 1 is conical and has a compressedend 3. As shown in Fig. 2, the head 2 is slightly curved on itsunderside and carries bristle tufts 5 which are secured in bores 4passing through head 2. Provided in the head rear face are three groovesor ducts 6, 7 and 3 running in a longitudinal direction and extendingalong the head 2 and part of the handle 1, which grooves are open andreadily accessible and pass between the rows of holes 4 formed by thebores of the bristle tufts. In addition, the head 1 is provided withpassageways or bores 9 which open into and communicate with said grooves6, 7 and 8 and connect said grooves to the underside of the head. Theouter grooves 6 and 8 are curved and conformed to the shape of the head1 whereas groove 7 runs straight.

When aforesaid brush is used, its head 1 is dipped into a glass filledwith a solution or liquid. When the brush is taken out of the cleaningliquid drops of said liquid adhere to the ducts or shallow open grooves6, 7 and 8 and the bores 9, which drops, during brushing, either fallthrough the respective bores directly on to the location to be cleanedor else, after the cleaning liquid trapped by the bristle tufts has beeneliminated, are sucked up again by the bristles whence they fall on tothe location to be cleaned.

By means of such ducts or grooves and bores relatively large quantitiesof liquid can be absorbed by the brush.

While the ducts according to the embodiment described are of the samewidth and depth along their entire length, it is also possible to changetheir dimensions along their length.

It is also conceivable to provide in the handle of the brush a hollowspace into which the ducts or grooves open to be filled with cleaningliquid before the brush is used, which liquid will then automaticallyflow out through the open ducts and bores during the actual cleaningprocess.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 3 a hollow space or chamber in thehandle 10 of the brush is equipped with a liquid bag or container 11made of elastic material, the opening 12 of which projects into aconnecting duct or passageway 13 which opens out into the open grooves14 arranged on the top of the brush head 1. A twoarmed lever 16 ispivotably mounted on a bolt 15 secured in the handle 19, the shorter arm17 of said lever acts on a bar 18 which is arranged on the top of theliquid bag 11. The liquid bag 11 can therefore be squeezed by pivotingthe lever 16 by means of its longer arm 19, it being thus possible tofill the bag by releasing the lever in when the brush is dipped inliquid. By suitable actuation of the lever 16 the liquid can then bereleased during cleaning to the grooves 14., from which it will passthrough the bores 20 to the location to be cleaned.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention and it is intended that suchobvious changes and modifications be embraced by the annexed claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A cleaning brush, particularly for month treatments, comprising ahandle, a brush head attached to said handie and having rows of bristlesin one face, spaced apart, shallow, longitudinally extending groovesprovided in the opposite face of said brush head and extending along apart of said handle, said brush head being provided with lateralpassageways extending from said one face adjacent said bristles towardssaid other face all the way through said brush head and terminating insaid longitudinally extending grooves and in openings adjacent butspaced from said bristles, said passageways being in directcommunication with said grooves and permitting movement of a treatmentliquid which is stored in said grooves by adhesion towards said bristlesfor contact with the latter.

2. A. cleaning brush, particularly for mouth treatments, comprising ahandle, a brush head attached to said handle and having rows of bristlesin one face, spaced apart, shallow, longitudinally extending groovesprovided in the opposite face of said brush head and extending along apart of said handle, said brush head being provided with lateralpassageways extending from said one face adjacent said bristles towardssaid other face all the way through said brush head and terminating insaid longitudinally extending grooves and in openings adjacent butspaced from said bristles, said passageways being in directcommunication with said grooves and permitting movement of a treatmentliquid which is stored in said grooves by adhesion towards said bristlesfor contact with the latter, said handle having a recess therein, aflexible container fitted in said recess and having a side thereofclosing said recess, a U-shaped lever pivoted to said handle and havinga leg thereof engaging said side of said container, and a duct in saidhandle connecting said container with said grooves to deliver fluid fromsaid container to said grooves.

(References on following page) 3 References (Iited in the file of thispatent 2,311,760 UNITED STATES FATENTS 2,612,649

381,749 Ashburner Apr. 24, 1888 914,501 McEachern Mar. 9, 1909 5 367 731,768,301 Weber June 24, 1930 443 537 1,811,833 Simon June 23, 1931 1110 333 4 Kells Feb. 23, 1943 Banks Oct. 7, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS FrancsSept. 12, 1906 France July 18, 1912 France Oct. 12, 1955

